Land Use under Homestead in Kerala: The Status of Homestead Cultivation from
a Village Study

Sr. Sheeba Andrews
Elumalai Kannan

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to
analyse the land use under homestead in the context of land-use change that
has been extensively taking place in Kerala. The features of homestead
gardening, its importance, the present status and the obstacles in home
gardening have been given prime focus. Homesteads are traditionally used for
self-sufficiency and pleasure. But due to real estate boom, we observe large
scale conversion of agricultural land and fragmentation of holdings. In this
context, homestead cultivation is considered to be the most suitable form of
cultivation. The study finds underutilisation of land under homesteads due
to lack of sufficient incentives for growing in homestead. Though the
structural and functional diversity of the traditional homestead gardening
has been not observed, a preference for perennial crops makes the homestead
more homogeneous across households. Such monoculture affects not only food
security but also biodiversity and ecology. This situation may lead to a
disappearance of home gardens in Kerala.